Mathare

The Mathare Valley slum

Mathare is a collection of slums in Nairobi, Kenya with a population of approximately 500,000 people;^[1] the population of Mathare Valley alone, the oldest of the slums that make up Mathare, is 180,000 people.^[2] Mathare is the home of football team Mathare United.^[3]

Gang violence

In 2006, Mathare was damaged by violence between rival gangs the Taliban (not to be confused with the Islamist group of the same name), a Luo group, and the Mungiki, a Kikuyu group.^[1] Brewers of an illegal alcoholic drink, chang'aa, asked the Taliban for help after the Mungiki tried to raise their taxes on the drink; since then, fighting between the two has led to the burning of hundreds of homes and at least 10 deaths.^[1] Police entered the slum on November 7, 2006, and the military arrived a day later, but many residents who fled are still afraid to return.^[1]

On June 5, 2007, the Mungiki murdered two police officers in Mathare; the same night, police retaliated by killing 22 people and detaining around 100.^[4]

Following the controversial presidential elections that took place on December 27, 2007, gangs of Kikuyu and Luo youth engaged in violent fights and burned more than 100 homes.^[5]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Gettleman, Jeffrey (2006-11-10). "Chased by Gang Violence, Residents Flee Kenyan Slum". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). 
2. ^ "Mathare Valley, Nairobi". ghettoradio.omroep.nl. Ghetto Radio. http://ghettoradio.omroep.nl/page/detail_archive/42702/myghetto. Retrieved 2006-11-11. 
3. ^ "Mathare United". Mathare United Football Club. http://www.mathareunited.com/. Retrieved 2006-11-11. 
4. ^ "Police in Kenya Kill 22 in Gun Battles Over Sect". The New York Times (Associated Press, republished by The New York Times Company). 2007-06-07. 
5. ^ Jeffrey Gettleman, "Disputed Vote Plunges Kenya Into Bloodshed", The New York Times, December 31, 2007.

External links

• Mathare Roots Mathare Roots is a community based organization established in 2006 by local youth ready to make a positive change.
• Rebel film board Rebel film board is our non-profit organization, providing the way for youth in mathare slum to share their stories with the world through video and films.
• OneLife Africa-This organization exists to identify and equip at-risk young people in Mathare slums
• Mathare Valley Outreach
• Mathare Youth Sports Association
• Nairobi Slums School Projects Trust
• The Mwelu Foundation - Grass-roots youth project centering on photography
• Mathare leader working on establishing further social changes in Mathare
• Mercy Care Centre
• Made in the Streets
• Mathare-Inn Photobook Fundraising project by photographer Claudio Allia with texts by Claudio Torres.

Coordinates: 1°15′36″S 36°51′43″E / 1.26°S 36.86194°E / -1.26; 36.86194